Sam Robards to Play The 39 Steps' Leading Man-on-the-Run

Sam Robards will take over the leading role of Richard Hannay in the Tony-nominated comedy hit The 39 Steps on July 8. Original British star Charles Edwards will depart the production on Sunday, July 6.

Robards was nominated for a Tony Award in 2002 for the Arthur Miller play The Man Who Had All the Luck, which also earned him a Clarence Derwent Award. He more recently appeared on Broadway in a revival of Absurd Person Singular. Off-Broadway credits include Taking Steps, Album, Flux, Moonchildren, The Altriusts, Misalliance and last season's The Overwhelming. The son of film legends Lauren Bacall and Jason Robards, he has also been seen on the big screen in many movies including Tempest, Fandango, Bright Lights, Big City, Bird, Casualties of War, Pret-A-Porter, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Beautiful Girls, American Beauty, Bounce, A.I. and Life as a House. On television, Robards played the recurring role of Chace Crawford's drug-addicted father in the first season of Gossip Girl.

Mix Alfred Hitchcock's cinematic masterpiece with a juicy spy novel. Then, add the manic dash of vintage Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps—equal parts hilarious whodunit, espionage thriller and quick-change comedy.

The 39 Steps, which has been nominated for six 2008 Tony Awards including Best Play, will continue to star Arnie Burton, Jennifer Ferrin and Cliff Saunders.